Bangladesh compounds Pakistan's cricketing isolation, calls it 'unsafe to even play T20Is'

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) President Nazmul Hasan on Thursday said that they are trying to form a team for the Twenty20 International (T20I) series against Pakistan after several of their star players showed reluctance to tour Pakistan even to play in the shortest format. The board has been contemplating splitting the Test and Twenty20 International (T20I) series between the two countries scheduled to take place in Pakistan early next year. Bangladesh are pretty much considering what Sri Lanka did earlier this year for their tour of Pakistan, for which they first travelled for the ODIs and T20Is, returned home and then came back for playing just 2 Test matches.

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Star players unwilling to play T20Is in Pakistan: BCB President

However, the latest statement from the BCB President to the media in Dhaka has put the T20I series in doubt as well. Hasan said to a leading media network that they had already communicated to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) that they were trying to send a team for the T20s only if the players are comfortable with the idea. The BCB President added that they were awaiting clearances from their government as well as security agencies. 

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Hasan went on to explain the reason behind Bangladesh players and coaching staff’s unwillingness to tour Pakistan. He said that many of the coaching staff had already informed the board much earlier that they didn’t want to go. Some of them said that they wanted to go but only for a short period while most of the foreign staff are yet not convinced about safety there.

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The BCB President claimed that one of the factors in their decision was that the families of the players and coaching staff were extremely anxious and concerned about them travelling to Pakistan. The players are not comfortable for a long period of time in an insecure environment. The players would only be keen to play in the T20Is if they could return home within a week's time.

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Hasan's comments come in the wake of PCB chairman Ehsan Mani's exaggerated claims a few days ago that Pakistan's security situation at present is better than their archrivals India's. The BCCI were quick to rebuke Mani for it. It could well be BCCI's influence which could make the BCB hold themselves back from touring Pakistan, considering that the BCB will be teaming up with the BCCI for the 3-match Asia XI vs World XI T20 series in March 2020. Two of those matches will be played in Bangladesh while the final game is scheduled to take place in the revamped stadium in Motera, Ahmedabad, which is set to be the world's biggest once the renovation is complete.